Overview
"Michael is a trusted legal adviser with the knowledge, experience and - perhaps most importantly - the endurance and temperament to lead and win high-stakes construction litigation." - Construction client, Chambers USA
Mike dedicates his practice to the construction industry, providing comprehensive legal support to his clients on the wide array of issues they encounter. With years of hands-on experience advising contractors, developers, and property owners, he has earned a reputation for delivering practical, strategic counsel that safeguards projects and resolves disputes efficiently.
From contract negotiation to litigation and everything in between, Mike’s acumen spans the entire lifecycle of construction projects. He is skilled in helping clients navigate complex regulatory frameworks, mitigate risks, and resolve disputes swiftly, ensuring projects stay on track and business interests remain protected.
Mike believes that the key to successful legal representation lies in clear communication, collaborative problem-solving, and a deep understanding of each client’s unique goals. Whether advising on project delivery methods, handling construction defect claims, or representing clients in arbitration, Mike is a steadfast advocate who works tirelessly to achieve favorable outcomes.
Mike maintains a multi-jurisdictional practice across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Jersey, leveraging his extensive trial and appellate litigation experience to advise clients on the best methods to avoid unnecessary, expensive litigation or aggressively defend/prosecute claims when litigation is necessary.
Representative Experience
- Achieved a successful verdict against a project owner who refused to pay the remaining contract balance, citing alleged faulty and defective work.
- Secured a full-value award in favor of a design-build Contractor in arbitration against a project owner seeking to offset the contract balance due to alleged incomplete work.
- Obtained complete dismissal of all claims against an EPC contractor in a dispute involving allegations of incomplete and defective work on a high-value renewable energy project in Oregon.
- Negotiated an eight-figure settlement in favor of a specialty subcontractor in a dispute on a project in Queens, New York.
- Defends sureties against large-scale claims, including a $20 million claim for damages arising out of the construction of a major medical facility.
- Regularly represents owners and contractors in negotiating commercial and legal contract provisions for large-scale, complex construction projects across North America.
Education & Admissions
Education
- Villanova University School of Law, J.D., 2006
- Michigan State University, B.A., High Honors, 2003
Bar and Court Admissions
- State of Ohio
- State of Pennsylvania
- State of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
- U.S.District Court, District of New Jersey
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
Involvement
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Foundation, Fellow
- American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law, Member (2017 – Present)
- Division 6, Labor and Employment
- Steering Committee
- American Bar Association, Member
- Ohio State Bar Association Board of Governors, District 12 Representative (2018 – Present)
- Construction Financial Management Association, Member (2018 – Present)
- Ohio Surety Association, Member (2016 – Present)
- National Bond Claims Association, Member (2018 – Present)
- Ohio State Bar Association, Member (2018 – Present)
- Leadership Academy, Member
- Council of Delegates
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member
- Ohio State Bar Foundation, Fellow
Community Involvement
- Cleveland Leadership Center, Cleveland Bridge Builders (Class of 2018)
- Cleveland Leadership Center, Cleveland Leadership Institute (Class of 2015)
- Urban Community School, Board of Trustees (2019 – Present)
Firm Involvement
- Hiring Committee, Member
Awards & Honors
- Named to The Best Lawyers in America® in Construction Law and Litigation – Construction (2024 – Present)
- Recognized by Chambers USA in the Business in Construction category (2021-2024)
- Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers (2024 – Present)
- Rising Stars list (2021)
- Selected to America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators (2019 – Current)
- AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated—Martindale-Hubbell
- Named to the New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars list (2011)
- Recognized as an Outstanding Young Lawyer by New Jersey Monthly Magazine (2011)
Publications
- “Don’t Crush Your Own Claim,” Properties Magazine (March 2023)
- “Department of Labor Seeks to Modify Independent Contractor Standard,” Frantz Ward Labor & Employment Navigator (October 2022)
- “Pay Equity in the Construction Industry,” The Construction Lawyer (Winter 2021)
- “Surprise! Hidden Conditions on Renovation Projects,” Properties Magazine (October 2020)
- “Might COVID Steps Up to Bat,” 2020 Marcum Northeat Ohio Construction Survey (October 2020)
- “New or Renew—What Do We Do?” Properties Magazine (June 2020)
- “And Down Goes Lewis…” Properties Magazine (October 2019)
- “Is It a Fixer Upper,” Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal, (October 2019)
- “Added Protection Headed Contractors’ Way in PA,” Frantz Ward On The Level (October 2018)
- “The State Oversteps Its Bounds,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (February 2017)
- “2017 Brings Changes to Ohio Public Contracting Rules,” Properties Magazine (February 2017)
- “Are You Ready for Drones to Take Flight?,” Properties Magazine (November 2016)
- “Allocation of Insurance Coverage for Long-Tail Losses,” ABA Under Construction Division Newsletter (August 2016)
- “Allocation of Insurance Coverage for Long-Tail Losses,” ABA Division Newsletter (February 2016)
- “Managing Hidden Risks Below the Surface,” Properties Magazine (November 2015)
- “Unjust Enrichment: When All Else Fails—Equity Prevails,” Properties Magazine (December 2013)
Presentations & Lectures
- Critical Risks on the Horizon, Advice From the Trenches Frantz Ward Construction Seminar (September 2024)
- “Fast Tracking Your Way to Success: An In-Depth Look at the Hidden Risks in Fast Tracking Construction and Techniques to Avoid Them,” Advice From the Trenches Frantz Ward Construction Webinar (February 2021)
- “At the Intersection of Environmental Law and Construction,” Ohio State Bar Association’s Annual Ohio Environment, Energy and Resources Law Seminar, Webinar (October 2020)
- “Pay Equity in the Construction Industry,” ABA Forum on Construction Law Fall Meeting, Philadelphia, PA (October 2019)
- “Unearthing the Risks of Delegated Design and Design-Assist,” Advice from the Trenches-Frantz Ward Construction Practice Seminar, Cleveland, OH (February 2019)
- “A Core Construction Law Curriculum”, Kent State University/Turner Construction School of Construction Workshop, Kent, OH (December 2018)
- “We Can Work it Out: AAA Arbitration and Mediation in Real Estate,” CMBA Real Estate Institute (November 2018)
- “What Do You Do When the Other Party Threatens to Terminate the Contract?,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (May 2017)
- “Ohio Construction Contract Law Update” and “Contract Termination,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (December 2016)
- “Shop Drawings and Submittals,” Construction Employers Association Frantz Ward Legal Series, Cleveland, OH (November 2016)
- “Defending Surety Bad Faith Claims Amid Differing State Standards,” Surety Association of Ohio, Webinar (October 2016)
Media Coverage
- Mentioned in, “Lawyers, Firms Receive Recognition,” Cleveland Jewish News (January 2021)
Representative Experience
- Achieved a successful verdict against a project owner who refused to pay the remaining contract balance, citing alleged faulty and defective work.
- Secured a full-value award in favor of a design-build Contractor in arbitration against a project owner seeking to offset the contract balance due to alleged incomplete work.
- Obtained complete dismissal of all claims against an EPC contractor in a dispute involving allegations of incomplete and defective work on a high-value renewable energy project in Oregon.
- Negotiated an eight-figure settlement in favor of a specialty subcontractor in a dispute on a project in Queens, New York.
- Defends sureties against large-scale claims, including a $20 million claim for damages arising out of the construction of a major medical facility.
- Regularly represents owners and contractors in negotiating commercial and legal contract provisions for large-scale, complex construction projects across North America.
Education & Admissions
Education
- Villanova University School of Law, J.D., 2006
- Michigan State University, B.A., High Honors, 2003
Bar and Court Admissions
- State of Ohio
- State of Pennsylvania
- State of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
- U.S.District Court, District of New Jersey
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
Involvement
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Foundation, Fellow
- American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law, Member (2017 – Present)
- Division 6, Labor and Employment
- Steering Committee
- American Bar Association, Member
- Ohio State Bar Association Board of Governors, District 12 Representative (2018 – Present)
- Construction Financial Management Association, Member (2018 – Present)
- Ohio Surety Association, Member (2016 – Present)
- National Bond Claims Association, Member (2018 – Present)
- Ohio State Bar Association, Member (2018 – Present)
- Leadership Academy, Member
- Council of Delegates
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member
- Ohio State Bar Foundation, Fellow
Community Involvement
- Cleveland Leadership Center, Cleveland Bridge Builders (Class of 2018)
- Cleveland Leadership Center, Cleveland Leadership Institute (Class of 2015)
- Urban Community School, Board of Trustees (2019 – Present)
Firm Involvement
- Hiring Committee, Member
Awards & Honors
- Named to The Best Lawyers in America® in Construction Law and Litigation – Construction (2024 – Present)
- Recognized by Chambers USA in the Business in Construction category (2021-2024)
- Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers (2024 – Present)
- Rising Stars list (2021)
- Selected to America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators (2019 – Current)
- AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated—Martindale-Hubbell
- Named to the New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars list (2011)
- Recognized as an Outstanding Young Lawyer by New Jersey Monthly Magazine (2011)
Publications
- “Don’t Crush Your Own Claim,” Properties Magazine (March 2023)
- “Department of Labor Seeks to Modify Independent Contractor Standard,” Frantz Ward Labor & Employment Navigator (October 2022)
- “Pay Equity in the Construction Industry,” The Construction Lawyer (Winter 2021)
- “Surprise! Hidden Conditions on Renovation Projects,” Properties Magazine (October 2020)
- “Might COVID Steps Up to Bat,” 2020 Marcum Northeat Ohio Construction Survey (October 2020)
- “New or Renew—What Do We Do?” Properties Magazine (June 2020)
- “And Down Goes Lewis…” Properties Magazine (October 2019)
- “Is It a Fixer Upper,” Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal, (October 2019)
- “Added Protection Headed Contractors’ Way in PA,” Frantz Ward On The Level (October 2018)
- “The State Oversteps Its Bounds,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (February 2017)
- “2017 Brings Changes to Ohio Public Contracting Rules,” Properties Magazine (February 2017)
- “Are You Ready for Drones to Take Flight?,” Properties Magazine (November 2016)
- “Allocation of Insurance Coverage for Long-Tail Losses,” ABA Under Construction Division Newsletter (August 2016)
- “Allocation of Insurance Coverage for Long-Tail Losses,” ABA Division Newsletter (February 2016)
- “Managing Hidden Risks Below the Surface,” Properties Magazine (November 2015)
- “Unjust Enrichment: When All Else Fails—Equity Prevails,” Properties Magazine (December 2013)
Presentations & Lectures
- Critical Risks on the Horizon, Advice From the Trenches Frantz Ward Construction Seminar (September 2024)
- “Fast Tracking Your Way to Success: An In-Depth Look at the Hidden Risks in Fast Tracking Construction and Techniques to Avoid Them,” Advice From the Trenches Frantz Ward Construction Webinar (February 2021)
- “At the Intersection of Environmental Law and Construction,” Ohio State Bar Association’s Annual Ohio Environment, Energy and Resources Law Seminar, Webinar (October 2020)
- “Pay Equity in the Construction Industry,” ABA Forum on Construction Law Fall Meeting, Philadelphia, PA (October 2019)
- “Unearthing the Risks of Delegated Design and Design-Assist,” Advice from the Trenches-Frantz Ward Construction Practice Seminar, Cleveland, OH (February 2019)
- “A Core Construction Law Curriculum”, Kent State University/Turner Construction School of Construction Workshop, Kent, OH (December 2018)
- “We Can Work it Out: AAA Arbitration and Mediation in Real Estate,” CMBA Real Estate Institute (November 2018)
- “What Do You Do When the Other Party Threatens to Terminate the Contract?,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (May 2017)
- “Ohio Construction Contract Law Update” and “Contract Termination,” National Business Institute, Cleveland, OH (December 2016)
- “Shop Drawings and Submittals,” Construction Employers Association Frantz Ward Legal Series, Cleveland, OH (November 2016)
- “Defending Surety Bad Faith Claims Amid Differing State Standards,” Surety Association of Ohio, Webinar (October 2016)
Media Coverage
- Mentioned in, “Lawyers, Firms Receive Recognition,” Cleveland Jewish News (January 2021)
